Gallagher praises resilience of his Fr Dalton’s side
It was with a big sigh of relief, as well as delight, that Fr Dalton’s manager Eamonn Gallagher greeted the final whistle in TEG Cusack Park last Saturday, as his charges edged Delvin in a high-octane senior ‘B’ hurling championship final.
The former Castletown Geoghegan, Raharney and Westmeath manager looked on as his side posted nine second half wides and missed a couple of decent goal chances, only for Delvin to almost win it with a goal six minutes from time.
The game looked set for a replay when Delvin were awarded a free deep into stoppage time, but in difficult conditions, the Valley’s Darragh Clinton struck it wide.
“We were saying we shot ourselves in the foot several times and I would have put my house on Clinton to put that ball over the bar,” Gallagher told the Westmeath Examiner. “That’s the way it goes. I’m a long time playing the game and I’ve been beaten and lost games that way umpteen times. So it’s great to come out on the right side for a change.”
Though Dalton’s missed a host of opportunities in the second half, they saw plenty of ball and kept Delvin at bay for much of the half with an assured defensive display.
“We played very strongly. They’re a good, strong team. There are good hurlers down in Dalton’s. They just needed a break and maybe that’s the break they needed,” the St Brigid’s legend said, as Dalton’s now face the big jump into senior ‘A’ in 2025. “They have a good structure down there, and they’ll come in time. Give them time.”
Further reflecting on Saturday’s final, Gallagher added: “You wouldn’t expect to win a game with 14 wides, but then, it showed that we had a certain amount of superiority.
“The boys have great heart and they don’t drop their heads too quickly. They battled away until the end and I thought they got their just reward at the finish.”
Marquee forward Owen McCabe had a mixed second half but came good for the Ballymore outfit at the end with some crucial scores and assists.
“He did. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. And Jack Duncan has to play another final on Monday,” he added, referring to what was at the time Duncan’s impending appearance for Milltown in bank holiday Monday’s IFC final replay. “I’d give him 10 out of 10 for the effort and the commitment he gave to the cause today, and I hope it goes his way on Monday.”